Who stole the cookie?
by Hayley4Naley
Summary: The tree hill gang as preteens. A mystery unfolds at Karen's cafe, young Haley and Brooke become detectives to solve it. Finally finished  you will now find out who stole the cookies!
1. Chapter 1

This is my fanfiction. Please be critical with your reviews. I need to know if I can actually write, or if all my friends are egging me on (like I presume some friends do for people auditioning on Australian idol!). Just thought I'd try this story out as it is much more fun than uni assignments!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of these characters; Mark Schwahn and other OTH writers created them. No copyright infringement intended. I also don't own the "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" rhyme but am insure of where it originated.

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**Chapter 1**

Little Haley Scott sat underneath the counter at her mother's café. The notebook she carries with her everywhere rested upon her bent knees. Haley was an inspiring author. While she was only 8 years old, she had written many stories that her father had published with his old typewriter. The bottom row of her bookshelf in the room she shared with her older brother Lucas was filled with her published stories, unfinished stories and old notebooks.

Haley had been annoyed with how the original Cinderella story ended. So her latest project has been to rewrite her own version. Her version was in the point of view of the step sisters, where an evil Cinderella marries Prince Charming for his money, forces her stepsisters to do all her housework and doesn't let them have the happy ending they deserve.

While she was thinking of an intelligent word to use in her next sentence, two large boots appeared in front of her, almost squashing her little toes.

"Haley, time to get up now. Your mum needs help closing up." Haley looked up to see her dad, Keith, still in his mechanic uniform, peering down at her underneath the counter. She packed away her writing equipment and he helped her up.

Haley helped her mother pick up the dirty plates and cups from the tables, while her brother sulked around the counter, sweeping.

"This is slave labour you know. We learnt about all of that at school. You should be paid for your work." Lucas argued.

"You are getting paid, son. You're getting paid in food. If don't help at the café, you will probably go to bed starving every night." Keith replied.

"Well nobody else has to. Most kids my age…" Lucas started.

"Most kids your age don't know the value of money, have no professional experience and will live off their parent's money until they are 40." Keith interrupted.

"What so when I'm 20 you're just going to kick me out?" Lucas asked.

"No of course not." Keith replied, Lucas sighed gratefully, "You're leaving home as soon as you graduate from school." Keith added smirking at Lucas' not so happy expression. He tossed him a cloth to wipe down the nearest table.

"Dinner's ready." Haley's mother, Karen called from the kitchen. The two boys dropped whatever they were doing and rushed into the kitchen for their usual family dinner.

It was the last day of the school holidays for the two Scott children, and all their friends and peers who attend Tree Hill Primary.

Lucas was standing outside the front of the café, bouncing his basketball waiting for his friends Antwon and Marvin to arrive. Lucas still wasn't allowed to go to the river court by himself, despite the numerous arguments he put forward that 'everyone' was allowed to.

Shortly later a skinny dark skinned boy wearing clothes that were falling off him, and a short, geeky looking boy wearing a huge grin across his face arrived. Lucas and his friends decided to get a quick drink before spending the rest of the day down by the river. Hoping that the big high school kids had something more important to do than to steal their basketball hang out.

The bell hanging over the front door rang as more people entered the café.

"Yo, dawg, look who it is." Antwon said.

Lucas turned to see his cousin Nathan and the gang of bullies, taking time off from egging houses to terrorise customers in the café.

"What's he doing here?" Lucas muttered, getting up from his seat. He stood infront of Nathan with his arms crossed, blocking the path. Antwon and Marvin stood behind Lucas, not as confident in their stance. "What are you doing here?" Lucas demanded.

"It's a free country." Nathan replied, then he noticed Lucas' basketball and scoffed, "What, you going to attack me with your lame old ball skills?" Nathan said and all his buddies burst out cackling.

Karen stepped between the two evil glaring boys. "Lucas, Haley needs help in the kitchen." She said, Lucas stomped away with Antwon and Marvin, leaving Nathan and his buddies still cackling.

In the kitchen Haley sat with her best friend Brooke. Brooke usually stayed at Karen's café, playing with Haley, as her parents were often away busy with work. It was lucky the girl's were best friends, with all the time they were forced to play together. On this day Brooke decided to help Haley write a story so she brought along her Barbie dolls to act out the storyline while Haley scribbled away.

Lucas scoffed when he saw the dolls, "Why do you have to be so girly?" He demanded of Brooke.

"Because I am a girl, you idiot." Brooke replied poking her tongue out.

"Just ignore him." Haley commented, "Boys are stupid."

'That's for sure! I'm never going to date a boy." Brooke replied scrunching up her nose in disgust.

A moment later Karen burst into the kitchen, her face red with fury. "LUCAS SCOTT! Did you empty all the cookies from the cookie jar when I wasn't looking?"

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I would usually call cookies, biscuits, but 'cookies' fits better with the story... 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Lucas stole the cookie from the cookie jar._

"I didn't do anything!" Lucas cried, "Why do you always think it's me when something bad happens?"

"Because it usually is." Karen muttered, "So you didn't take any of the choc-chip cookies without asking?"

"NO!" Lucas shouted.

"Ok sorry, sweetie I just thought I would check." Lucas glared at his mother and stomped back out of the kitchen, closely followed by Antwon and Marvin. The three boys headed out of the café, slamming the door behind them.

"What happened mum?" Haley asked.

"Oh, I had filled the cookie jar this morning, and now it's empty! I only sold a couple this morning but I went to get another one out and they were all gone. I just assumed it was Lucas." Karen said.

"But Lucas says it wasn't him… Haley thought, "Brooke, we have a mystery to solve!"

"Oh yay, I love mysteries!" Brooke replied excitedly. "We'll figure it out for you Mrs Scott."

"Thank you girls. Don't get in too much trouble though, will you?"

"We won't mum." Haley replied. Karen nodded and headed back out to serve her customers. Haley opened to a new page of her notebook. "Ok, so Lucas says it wasn't him… who could it be?"

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Not Lucas_

_Yes Lucas_

_Couldn't be_

"Well it wasn't you or me or your mum or Lucas." Brooke said.

"You don't think my cousin Nathan did, do you?" Haley asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him." Brooke replied, narrowing her eyes at the group of bullies still sitting at the café drinking milkshakes. "But how do we find out?"

_Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Nathan stole the cookie from the cookie jar._

The girls crept around the café, behind tables and chairs to get closer to Nathan's table so they could hear the boy's conversation better.

"That was awesome Tim, she didn't even see you." Nathan laughed.

"So am I part of your gang now?" Tim asked with bright eyes.

"What do you think guys? Should we let him in?" Nathan asked. The rest of the boys cheered, a bit. "Well Tim, it looks like you're in. First plan of action is to scare the new kids at school tomorrow."

"But I thought you didn't go to school." Tim replied.

"You have a lot to learn. We skip school when it's boring. The first day is _always_ interesting."

Haley and Brooke looked at each other, not at all happy with what they just overheard.

"Let's go." Whispered Brooke, and without waiting for Haley to answer Brooke stood up and made her way to the boy's table. Haley had no other option but to follow. "Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing… are you planning something at school tomorrow?" Brooke asked Nathan.

'What's it to you?" Nathan replied.

"Well it's Parent's day tomorrow for the year 1 kids. I thought you would be smarter than that. You know, in case someone's parents see you causing trouble and report you to the mayor."

"The Mayor is my dad you moron."

"Exactly." Brooke replied with a smirk little smile. "Now while we're on the subject of causing trouble. Do you think its funny to steal cookies?"

"Yes I think it is hilarious." Nathan replied.

Haley opened her mouth in shock. "You should go and apologise to my mum right now. She let's you in here when you are nothing but rude to Lucas and you… don't care at all and just steal anything you feel like."

Nathan scoffed, "I ain't steal nothing." He practically spat in Haley's face, "Let's leave this dump." He ordered. So Nathan and all his buddies exited the café, leaving a huge mess at their table aswell.

"So it wasn't him." Haley said.

"You believe him?" Brooke asked, shocked.

"Nathan is bad, but he doesn't lie." Haley replied.

"Right, so we're back at square one. It's not me or you or your mum or Lucas or Nathan. Then who is it?" Brooke pondered.

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Not Nathan_

_Yes Nathan_

_Couldn't be._

_Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you everyone for the great reviews. I love hearing what you think, especially the detailed reviews. I am enjoying writing little Haley and Brooke. **

**Some of you are worried about Haley and Nathan as cousins. They're 8/9 yrs old so there's no Naley atm but who knows what other mysteries lay ahead in future…. As for Brooke not liking boys, well... her hormones haven't kicked in yet.**

**Enjoy the rest of the quest to find out who stole the cookies…**

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**Chapter 3**

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

Haley and Brooke sat at an empty table thinking about who their next suspect would be.

"It would have to be someone pure evil, to steal cookies." Haley thought out loud.

"Yes, but I'm also imagining someone like the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street." Brooke replied.

"Do you still watch that?"

"No! It's such a kid's show, I used to though."

"Me to! My favourite was Big Bird."

"I liked him too and the Grouch who lived in the garbage can was so funny." Brooke said, the two girls giggled reminiscing about wonderful Sesame Street moments.

Karen walked up to their table and quickly wiped it down. "How is this mystery going girls?"

"Oh right." Haley said, getting back on track, "Well we've crossed out you, me, Brooke, Lucas and Nathan. But still don't know who else it could have been."

"Hmm, well good luck, I want to know as soon as you find out who did it." Karen replied before heading off to serve another customer.

The two girls slumped over the table with their chins resting on their hands.

"All this thinking about cookies is making me hungry." Brooke said.

"I've got it!" Haley announced, appearing to not have heard Brooke's last comment, "It was Tim!"

"What?"

"When we were listening to the boys conversation, Nathan said 'Well done Tim, she didn't even see you.' That would mean that Tim stole the cookies to get into that stupid little gang with Nathan." Haley explained.

Brooke nodded, "So Nathan didn't have to lie because he didn't steal the cookies, he told someone else too."

"Right! So how do we prove it?" Haley asked.

"We have to go find him." Brooke replied.

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Tim stole the cookie from the cookie jar._

The two girls, after seeking permission from Karen, headed outside to find Tim. They had strict orders that they weren't allowed to cross the main road outside the café, and were really only allowed around the block. Brooke and Haley hoped Nathan and his gang hadn't wandered off too far, so they could catch up easily.

The two girls headed down the path, looking just like mini detectives with their notebook and pencil and wearing cute little outfits. Haley wore her denim overalls and red t-shirt with her hair in two plaits on either side of her head. Brooke wore khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, with her hair tied up in a high ponytail.

Brooke and Haley turned the corner and to their complete surprise found Tim standing at the other end. The girls quickly but quietly travelled down the street, pausing behind the odd tree every now and then without trying to look too suspicious.

The girls crept up behind Tim and Brooke tapped him on the shoulder. Tim jumped before turning around.

"What do _you_ want?" He asked when he realised who it was.

"What are you doing?" Brooke asked raising her eyebrows as Tim curiously watched the driver of the car that drove by.

"Secret business that I will not be discussing with you." Tim replied folding his arms over his chest.

Haley burst out giggling "You're the look out, aren't you?"

"It is a very important job, Nathan gave it to me specially." Tim replied. Brooke joined Haley in a fit of giggles. "Stop laughing!" Tim demanded.

"Sorry," Brooke replied, not sounding sincere at all, "But you just joined the 'gang' and you're not even allowed to sit in on the stupid little meetings. I think that is quite funny."

Tim narrowed his eyes at Brooke but couldn't hide the sad look on his face as he realised he wasn't included. Haley, who usually felt bad for Tim as he always wanted to fit in, was still unimpressed at the thought of Tim stealing her mother's cookies.

"So, what did you have to do to get into this gang?" Haley asked.

"They wouldn't let _girls_ in." Tim replied.

"Eww as if we would want to join you're stupid gang thing." Brooke replied.

"We just want to know what they made you do." Haley added, winking at her friend.

"I had to stick a kick me sign on an old ladies' back." Tim replied.

"That's so childish!" Brooke cried.

"Yeah well… it got me in the gang." Tim replied somewhat smugly.

"Well have fun being the lookout." Haley said as she and Brooke headed back to the café.

"So it wasn't Tim." Brooke said.

"No." Haley replied, sighing as the girl's had to go back and think of their next suspect.

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? _

_Not Tim_

_Yes Tim_

_Couldn't be_

_Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

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** Who do you suspect stole the cookies?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all again for the reviews. I am enjoying writing this story so much and am glad you like reading it! I also think its really cool to hear who you think stole the cookies! He he.**

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Chapter 4

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

Haley and Brooke were back to square one. They still had no idea who had stolen the cookies, but had excluded a number of suspects. It was not Haley, Brooke, Karen, Lucas, Nathan or Tim.

The two girls sat on the footpath outside the café, thinking about more suspects.

"Oh!" Haley jumped up quickly, startling Brooke, "I can't believe I didn't think of this before…"

"Tell me!" Brooke replied, she was never really into the suspense of surprises.

"Well, it could have been Dad. He sometimes takes some cookies with him to work, maybe he just forgot to tell mum this morning." Haley said.

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Keith stole the cookie from the cookies jar._

"That makes sense, should we go and ask him?" Haley nodded. The girls hurried inside to seek permission from Karen.

"Mum, we think dad might have taken the cookies. Can we go over and ask him?" Haley asked.

"Ok, but make sure you look both ways before crossing the road." Karen replied, the typical worrying mother.

"Yes mum." The girls said and they rushed back outside, pausing to look carefully that it was safe before crossing the road.

They ran down the street past the old antique store full of valuable, breakable chine; past the sweet smelling bakery; past the best toy store in the world and finally they reached Keith Scott Mechanics.

"Dad." Haley called out when they arrived.

"Mr Scott!" Brooke shouted also.

"In here." Came a muffled cry from the back of the room. Haley and Brooke cautiously made their way around the car parts to the sound of the voice.

Keith Scott rolled himself out from under a car he was working on and wiped his hands on his old, oil-stained overalls. "Hello girls, to what do I owe this pleasure of a visit this afternoon?"

"Well, we just wanted to know if you took any of mum's cookies for lunch today?" Haley asked.

Keith screwed his eyes up in thought before replying "No, I believe I forgot about those delicious cookies this morning. I just packed a sandwich and a few pieces of fruit."

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Not Keith_

_Yes Keith_

_Couldn't be_

_Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

"Ok, thanks Mr Scott." Brooke replied, the two girls turned to head back to the café to think more about their next suspect.

"Wait. You came all the way up here just to ask me that?" Keith asked.

"Yeah." Brooke replied, "Well, we're solving a mystery."

"I see, and what mystery is this?"

"The mystery of the missing cookies." Haley replied.

"Oh, how is this mystery going?" Keith asked.

"We're out of suspects again." Brooke replied.

"_I_ was a suspect?" Keith asked, shocked.

"Yes Daddy." Haley replied, "We thought you might have taken cookies for lunch and forgotten to tell mum. Honest mistake."

"True true." Keith replied nodding, impressed with his daughter's intelligence, "Well I best let you get back to thinking about who the next suspect could be."

"Thanks Mr Scott, but do you have any ideas?" Brooke asked.

"Hmmm, maybe it was ghosts or really small mice that could get in and out of the jar without being detected." Keith replied.

"Dad!" Haley groaned, rolling her eyes but giggling at the suggestions anyway. The girls said goodbye and proceeded back up to the café, carefully looking both ways before crossing the road yet again.

Brooke and Haley entered the café a little gloomily. They were starting to lose faith in this act as detectives as they felt they had run out of suspects.

"I guess this is one of those mysteries that never gets solved." Brooke said.

"Yeah." Haley replied. They sat down at a free table with their shoulders slumped over.

"Hey girls, can I get you anything?"

Brooke and Haley looked up in surprise. They had completely forgotten about Laure, the high school girl who helped waitress at Karen's café before and after school for extra cash and experience.

"No thanks Laure, we're fine." Brooke replied. Laure smiled and nodded and moved on to serve other (paying) customers. "You don't think.." Brooke started.

"No! Laure couldn't have stolen the cookies." Haley replied.

"I don't mean _that_." Brooke said, "I mean that she could have sold the cookies this morning and not have told your mum that they'd finished."

"That's true!" Haley replied.

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Laure 'stole' the cookie from the cookie jar._

"Let's go ask her." Brooke instructed. The girls waited until Laure was back behind the counter, they took their chance to bombard her.

"Laure, we were wondering… did you sell heaps of cookies this morning?" Haley asked.

Laure thought for a moment, "I can't really remember actually… I usually sell lots of money coffees." She paused for a moment, thinking back to the events of early that morning, "No I don't think I did."

"Are you sure?" Brooke asked suspiciously.

Laure laughed, "Yes I am sure, sorry girls I have to get back to making these coffees." Laure shook her head, leaving the little girls to their 'game' and set off back to make more coffees.

_Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

_Not Laure_

_Yes Laure_

_Couldn't be_

_Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?_

"I'm ready to give up." Brooke announced.

"Not yet Brooke!" Haley cried, "There's one last thing we have to do."

"Which is what?"

"We haven't looked around the cookie jar for clues!" Haley explained.

"Aha, we forgot the most important part of detective work yet." Brooke replied.

"Yes, that wasn't good but we can do that now!" Haley said.

The two girls hurried off to collect the things they needed to look for clues in the hope that this would allow them to finally solve the mystery of who stole the cookies.

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	5. Chapter 5

**I know everyone is dying to know who stole the cookies but I've been having far too much fun writing about little Haley and Brooke to actually finish it and tell you! But hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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**Chapter 5**

Haley and Brooke collected a magnify glass, rubber gloves, a pastry brush and baby powder. To anyone else this would look like quite an odd assortment of objects but to the girls these were the objects they needed to finally solve the mystery of the stolen cookies.

The girls used the magnify glass to look closely around the cookie jar, the scene of the crime. Brooke wore the rubber gloves to turn the cookie jar around while Haley searched for clues. They were going to use the pastry brush and baby powder to try and dust for fingerprints but as novices this probably wouldn't work out well.

"Look at this Brooke." Haley said, holding the magnify glass close the ground. She moved to allow Brooke look closely.

"Ooooh" Brooke responded. "They left a trail!" The girl's had found a few cookie crumbs on the floor below the cookie jar. The crumbs continued along forming a trail in front of them.

"We should follow it and then we will catch the cookie thief!" Haley said, Brooke agreed. The girls discarded their detective equipment and followed the cookie trail.

"I almost feel like Hansel and Gretel." Brooke commented.

"You can be Hansel." Haley replied.

'Hey! No, you're name starts with H."

"So, yours doesn't start with G."

Brooke pouted, "Ok fine, we won't be Hansel and Gretel, we will be Brooke and Haley."

"Sounds good." Haley replied and they continued along the cookie trail.

They followed the trail to the end of the counter, the cookie crumbs then led them around the other side of the counter.

"I feel like we're getting closer!" Brooke said as the girls turned around the corner of the counter.

-- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - --

Peyton was running late. She turned her laptop off, stuffed a couple of unfinished papers in her briefcase and left her office, locking the door securely behind her.

"Goodbye Mrs Jaglieski." The office receptionist called as Peyton passed. Peyton waved her hand goodbye as her teeth were holding her handbag while she tried to fish for her car keys.

Peyton dumped everything in the passenger seat of her car, started the engine and sped off down the street.

-- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - --

Karen was busy checking on her next batch of cookies in the kitchen and almost didn't hear the door to the café open.

"Karen!" a voice shouted. Karen emerged from the kitchen to face Peyton. "I'm so sorry I'm late, I had so much work, it just kept pilling up…"

Karen dismissed the rest of the excuse with a wave of her hand, "I've always told you Peyton, an extra half an hour really is fine."

"No, no, you get your afternoon rush in at 3 and you have kids of your own to look after. I can't burden you any longer with mine."

Karen shook her head, "Your daughter is the most placid child I have ever met, she hardly needs my attention at all."

Peyton laughed, "She takes after her father! So where is she?"

"MUM!" The two grown ups turned to find Haley jumping up from behind the counter. "We found out who stole the cookies!" She exclaimed with a huge grin.

Brooke then appeared beside Haley holding a little 13 month old baby covered with crumbs, chocolate chips and holding a squashed biscuit in her hands.

"Jenny!" Peyton cried in shock, "I'm so sorry Karen, really. She is just like her father."

Karen laughed heartedly, "Cunning little thing! I don't know how she managed to get into those cookies, but I'm glad to see she enjoyed herself."

Peyton ran over and took little Jenny out of Brookes hands, carried her to the sink and brushed off all the crumbs.

"I really am so sorry Karen. As soon as she turn's 2 I'll put her in childcare during the day."

"Oh don't do that, I enjoy having her here. She keeps me young!" Karen replied, kissing Jenny on the forehead.

"Don't I keep you young mum?" Haley asked.

"I guess you could say that." Karen said.

"Thankyou thankyou so much Karen. I will pay you back for everything tomorrow afternoon, that is if you still want to look after her tomorrow."

"Peyton I'd be more than happy too! See you tomorrow."

"Thank you Karen, see you tomorrow." Peyton replied hurrying out the door with her daughter.

"That was very well done girls," Karen told Brooke and Haley, "You two make very good detectives!"

"It was fun." Brooke replied.

"Good, so how about some more fun and you can help me start dinner?" Karen asked.

"Ok!" The girls replied excitedly. They followed Karen into the kitchen and laughed again at how the mystery turned out.

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**I hope you enjoyed reading Brooke and Haley's quest as much as I did writing it, and I would love to hear what you think of it and my abilities at writing mysteries lol. Was it what you had expected at all?**


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